I do this every year, mainly because Animation is the only category I make the active attempt to complete, so I can talk about each nominee,
And I can’t do that this year, because my country (US) does not get Robot Dreams until 2024, distributed by NEON. They haven’t dated it. I’m not sure if they’ll bother for the general marketplace before March 10th, when the Oscars happen.
But it looks v. cute and you can see my post here.
So you get a bonus mention of an animated movie that wasn’t nominated!
Just like years previously, we all have to pretend every movie here has an equal chance and not that it’s really down to two competitors. Be forreal, last year it was firmly Puss in Boots [rip] vs. Pinocchio and the year prior it was The Mitchells vs. The Machines vs Encanto.
Now it’s the first two movies on this list.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
“It’s a metaphor for capitalism.”
I think this has the best chance of winning, but it’s close.
I do not like this as much as the first one, I think it lags and meanders, there are far too many ideas, I think Gwen’s story is interesting, and could have worked as a prequel short-film of sorts, but the focus should have been kept to Miles to trim this runtime, and knowing the artists were overworked make the shine wear down. It saddens me to have not super enjoyed it when the first movie is my favorite movie period.
But I did love them incorporating new styles, Hobie, and the score by Daniel Pemberton. He really does not miss.
The Boy and The Heron
“I’m not afraid of fire.”
The widest-released Ghibli movie in the US ever and The not-so-final Miyazaki film is an abstract dream, a nice ride that has more to show the more you think about it.
I can see why people dislike it – Personally, I’m surprised so many Critic’s Circles in the US do like it.I knew it was going to be extremely abstract before walking in, and I myself was truthfully, disinterested in parts. Those parts never lasted very long, but I didn’t have that feeling watching Spirited Away, a movie I enjoy but not love, 2 months earlier.
It is the customary Ghibli Beauty, and it almost stands out in not being in an elaborate, painterly style like Spider-Verse and Nimona. But wow, there are two hand-drawn animated films nominated! None American, surprise. Because our hand drawn animated productions are limited to smaller, but no less important, works.
The English dub is apparently quite good, and I would like to see it. Fun fact, if you consider this entry with the english dub, this is the first out of two movies nominated with Mamoudou Athie.
Nimona
just fucking turns into a shark
The destination is more impressive than the goal; From humble beginnings as a webcoming by ND Stevenson on Tumblr, to a graphic novel, to actually being in development, to being canned as Disney bought Blue Sky and shuttered it, to being shopped around, sold to Netflix, and eventually completed.
I would say the art and action is distinct enough, even in a world where a lot of movies are going to a non-traditional CGI style that uses more painterly aspects. A lot of people thought Wish looked a little awkward and unfinished; Nimona has slightly similar criticisms from me, as if the barriers that separate objects and people aren’t strong enough to my eye specifically, but that’s such a minor criticism.
Also the main guy is gay and clearly had a romantic relationship with another character hired to hunt him down, so yay whoo representation.
Elemental
“You were the dream.”
The little movie that ended up could-ing [crowd boos], it started off poorly at the box office, but due to pretty much lack of younger-viewer competition until TMNT Mutant Mayhem almost 2 months later, it did pick up those family (and old school Pixar fans like myself) coins.
The story is not great, I appreciated the immigrant story far more than the mystery and romance. It was rightly uncomfortable watching bits of racism that was pretty obviously anti-Asian in origin. I don’t presume to say ‘Oh this is what the director , Peter Sohn, went through.’, not my place to say that.
Some of the other films on this list are using that kind of dropped framerate, muted style, and this opts to go with CGI with extreme attention to detail to the elements of fire and water – which, you kind of had to, with your leads.
I would love to see A) a history of the Fire Country and B) a behind the scenes of actually animating fire and water, and fire’s reflection on water.
It’s not the best per se, but Disney does give a lot of directors second chances, and i’d be happy to see Sohn do more movies.
So we had options this year, and while I’m not as gung-ho as last year, I can appreciate the journies some of them had to take to get here.
Most of the Animated Shorts aren’t available yet, although Ninety-Five Senses will be on Documentary+, so I hope the one person who has it tells us how it is.
Shaka Inkosi YamaKhosi
A short film, about 14 minutes, about the coming of age of Shaka Zulu. The ambition of movement outpaces a lot of the grander animation movements, but it works well with the facial subtleties and the music and backgrounds are quite pleasing. Netflix. Actually came out in 2020, whoops, I was looking for stuff from this year.
Well uh how about them Ninja Turtles, huh? Personally I didn’t see it getting a nom and I’m fine, it was fine, just fine.
Nominated
Across the Spider-Verse
27(50.0%)
The Boy and The Heron
18(33.3%)
Non-Nominated Ones
The Super Mid Bros. Movie
4(11.4%)
Disney’s Centennial Flop (Wish)
0(0.0%)
Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken
3(8.6%)
Trolls: Timberlake’s Job
0(0.0%)
